Touring a high-tech dairy farm in Uruguay

Focus on quality

Yolanda Crujeira Cabral, Talar CEO, welcomes the group and gives an overview of the facilities. She said that quality is the number one priority at Talar, and that the company tries not to depend on anything from outside the farm to produce their products, whether in the form of energy or feed. Photo: Mark Moore

Innovative design

One of the innovations of the Talar facilities is the way in which the buildings are designed. All of the components that generate noise and heat are housed in the ceiling of the buildings, separate from the employees' work space below. Photo: Mark Moore

Efficiency

Recycled water

Agua recuperada is marked on the water tanks, which translates to recycled water. The water purification machines that are used at Talar are a Uruguayan invention, and they are sent to places like Haiti where clean water is a major concern. Photo: Mark Moore

Animal welfare

Animal welfare is a major focus at Talar. The dairy cows here seem to have five star accommodations. Their housing is washed daily using the recycled water; fans keep the feeding facilities cool; and the cows visit a special back scratch device at their leisure. Each cow is tracked with a chip in its ear, too, to measure its productivity and health. The cows were very calm around the large group of people, which the company said was a testament to their well-being. Photo: Mark Moore

Meeting the owner

Juan Carlos López Mena is Talar's owner. His focus on sustainability drives the company's efforts to produce dairy products using alternative energy. A new housing/feeding facility was being built when the group visited, and its roof will be equipped with solar panels for energy production. They also plan to create their own fertilizer from animal waste using a processor on site in the near future. Photo: Mark Moore

Rotary milking room

This rotary milking room is an efficient way for Talar to milk their cows. Employees attach the milking machines from below, and the slow rotation of the chamber allows the cows to enter and exit at regular intervals. This system can be faster than traditional milking facilities. Photo: Mark Moore

Sampling the end product

The group was able to sample some of the products produced by Talar. The company focuses solely on fresh, soft cheeses and milks that should be consumed within 35 to 38 days of purchase. Zero preservatives are used at Talar. Photo: Mark Moore

As part of the IFAJ pre-Congress tour in Urugay, a group of 20 journalists from around the world visited a very high-tech dairy farm. The Talar dairy company in Uruguay was started by Juan Carlos López Mena, who had a dream of helping to provide food to the world. In 2006, construction on the dairy farm began and by 2008, they started milking cows. The farm occupies about 6,800 hectares (about 16,800 acres) for dairy and feed production. In total, there are 3,200 cows on the farm, and cows are milked three times per day to keep them comfortable.

A major focus at Talar is sustainability. All feed for the animals is grown on site, and all waste is composted. A major expansion is in progress, and Juan Carlos says the company's goal is to produce zero pollution in the future. All water used on the farm is recycled on site, and some of the manure is processed for biofuel.

Juan Carlos was able to start a dairy farm based on his past business successes. He is the owner of Buquebus, a major transportation company in Argentina and Uruguay. The group on the tour took Buquebus ferries and buses throughout the trip. Buquebus is also built on a model of sustainability. The buses use 50% biodiesel, and some of them are completely electric, which is a first for Uruguay. Juan Carlos' next goal, he said, was to reach 0% pollution with both his dairy farm and transportation company.

Talar produces about 25,000 liters of milk per day and does so in an extremely efficient way. Take a look at how it's done and what the end products looks like.